Review of Fred Vogel’s The Final Interview
Fred Vogel, the man behind the notorious August Underground Trilogy and creator of ToeTag Pictures, heads into a territory that couldn’t be more different for his reputation. Vogel is the epitome of gore; the mentioning of his name is enough to evoke reactions as his bloodied vision has frequently shocked many viewers in the underground world of horror. However, his latest film,The Final Interview is a departure from his usual on-screen butchery and ToeTag. Here, Vogel is set to make a film with more restraint, almost veering away from his signature cinematic brutality, delivering a film heavily based on performances and dialogue with little blood, yes, I said little blood and I must say, technically and theatrically, it could just be one of his best.
From the onset, there are notions of film noir; soft Jazz, it’s nighttime as a yellow cab slowly drives through a dark void of a city. It’s almost emanating a Scorsese vibe for the obvious reasons, yet there’s ambiguity as the characters (not yet properly introduced) sit quietly in the back of the cab, one is asleep and the other observes the dense darkness on the road with stoicism. The cab arrives at their destination, a penitentiary where they’ll be interviewing a serial killer dubbed as the Southside Slasher, although, the main protagonist, Oliver Ross, played majestically by Grainger Hines, isn’t fond of the subject that he’s about to interview for a live TV broadcast as he so wantonly desired to interview a different calibre of criminal. Despite frustration, Ross goes ahead with the interview although reluctantly. Hines exhibits depth in his character, almost instantly, you dislike him but as the story progresses, you identify why that is so. Hines delivers a memorable performance here; he resonates a certain angst, a ticking time bomb satiated with popping pills, drinking strong alcohol fused with an nihilist smile, a nihilist demeanour that would almost reflect the very criminal that he’s about to interview.
Once Ross introduces himself to the serial killer, Darius Tidman on the eve of his execution (played brilliantly by Damien A. Maruscak), a brutal killer that has taken the lives of twenty innocents becomes an intense discourse between the two. The combination of characters flares up and the room (where the film takes place 98.9% in) turns into a cooker, awaiting boiling point. Ross speaks to Tidman about what to expect with the interview and how it’s just a show – “It’s all just television. Ratings” with a blasé manner, Tidman smiles with a casual apathy, you can tell, just like the viewers of the film, Tidman resents Ross, as if the audience sides with the only known monster within the room, an angle that I particularly enjoyed. After introduction of both characters and Ross’s wife, played by Diane Franklin of The Last American Virgin and Amityville 2 fame, mostly a voice in Ross’s ears as she’s directing him and the show, the interview commences and cleverly so, Vogel takes us into the show exhibited with the aesthetic of ‘70s TV including the intro credits; the sound changes to a tinnier presentation, a square ratio and degraded colours in which I thoroughly enjoyed the creativity of such direction by Vogel. The faux presentation of the show is even interspersed with advertisements which gives it an authentic feel and with that in mind, it automatically reminded me of Oliver Stone’s phenomenal film, Natural Born Killers (1994) that also had an unlikeable character such as Wayne Gale played enigmatically by Robert Downey Jr. which resembles Ross somewhat, if not a direct influence, it definitely homages Natural Born Killers for sure and in a good way, may I add.
Further on, Ross adds fuel to the fire by demeaning the presence of Tidman, also displaying misogyny with the way he talks about women in general. Ross’s patience is abhorrent and treats the other staff with disdain…Tidman is a quite grenade, his eyes glaring and his face illustrating murderous desires towards Ross which is conveyed so well by Maruscak throughout. The room is now a pressure boiler on the brink of an explosive event whereas we, as an audience sit on the edge of our seats just waiting for it. When the show is intercut with external interviews and news reports, the film cuts back to our central characters where it then builds more tension where Ross furthermore, sheds his skin on the light of his own morality as Tidman quietly judges with a malicious edge. This very structure keeps the film strong throughout, allowing audiences to see the showman of Ross as well as his true self. The ego of Tidman radiates on the show, yet, behind the scenes, he’s quiet and devious, awaiting an opportunity to take his move. So, the film itself and the show within the film, cleverly constructs the duality of both of our main characters which what makes the film so interesting.
Vogel’s eighth feature film is heavy with dialogue, just as much as you’d expect with a Tarantino film but don’t let that put you off as the performances here are perfect. Vogel really manages to get the most out of Hines and Maruscak and that’s what’s most valuable here. Also, Vogel has shown his depth of creativity in the world of film, with The Final Interview, he has presented and directed a film with great skill and finesse and I’m sure we’re going to see a lot more on what Vogel has to offer in terms of his cinematic palette. He has broadened his scope and the horizon of horror is forever changing, however, as it is shown in The Final Interview, he can easily adapt to anything he’d like to create but I do hope he stays in the maniacal, pulsating vein that is horror that we all love.
Editor’s note: The Final Interview is available in a Limited 3-disc Collector’s Edition here and also for digital download here.
Directed by: Fred Vogel
Written by: Rebecca Swan, Fred Vogel
Produced by: Ross Putman, Fred Vogel, Shelby Lyn Vogel
Cinematography by: Jason Prowell
Editing by: Jamie Lockhart
Special Effects by: Autumn Cook
Cast: Diane Franklin, Grainger Hines, Damien A. Maruscak
Year: 2018
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 30min
Official Website: thefinalinterviewmovie.com